Slam dunk: make sure your career goals are specific and achievable so you can reach them. Photograph: Ray Stubblebine/Reuters

A key part of your career management plan, goal setting, gives you the drive and energy to keep moving forward.

But there's an art to creating successful, inspiring goals. So if you started 2014 with great career resolutions but now find yourself nowhere near achieving them, don't get too self-critical. Instead, adopt these strategies and mindsets to get back on track.

Take a fresh look at your goals

If your goals are too vague or ambitious, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. It can help to apply some Smart (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) criteria to your career goals.

Specific: Instead of aiming simply to get a new job, narrow down your focus and think about applying for specific roles in organisations which require your expertise in the skills relevant to you. Think about the why, as well. What benefit will your goal bring you? It might sound obvious, but because you'll need to invest time and energy in your pursuit, you must be clear on why and how it will have a positive impact.

Measurable: Planning a strategy and giving yourself milestones along the way will help you track your progress and increase your self-confidence when you achieve your goals. Make sure you use quantifiable measurements, such as aiming to meet a certain number of people in different departments, or take on a number of new projects. It also helps to focus your goals on your own performance where you have more control and likelihood of success.

If you find yourself failing to hit your targets, set aside a specific time each day for them. For example, dedicate 10 minutes each day at lunchtime to find new contacts on LinkedIn, or get up half an hour earlier each day to write on your blog.

Achievable: Being realistic in your goals means you won't be setting yourself up for disappointment. Understand what might be holding you back and overcome each limitation one at a time. Do you need extra training or will you need to amass more experience before a promotion? If your goals are too ambitious, either in scope or in quantity, you'll need to prioritise, scale down or give yourself more time. Again, being specific on what exactly is needed to achieve your goal will help you stay focused.

Relevant: Does your career goal make sense at this stage in your career? Is it compatible with your values, interests or ambitions? Be clear on the reasoning behind your goal: don't just think you need to aim for a promotion because others expect it.

Time-bound: Setting yourself a deadline can concentrate your mind, but don't underestimate the amount of time you might need for a large goal, such as career change. To do this successfully requires the time to fully research, make new contacts and start building appropriate experience. Depending on the type of career change you want, a year may not be unrealistic. Look ahead at the necessary steps and assign a reasonable timeframe for each.

Develop a positive mindset

Persistent effort and the willpower to stay the course are the fundamentals for achieving any sort of change. But you'll also need a strategy for staying motivated when you experience setbacks and obstacles. Learn from these and use them as a spur to change what isn't working rather than allowing them to chip away at your self-confidence.

A belief in your abilities will help you move out of your comfort zone towards new goals. In her article, how to spot opportunities, Heidi Grant Halvorson argues that a promotion focus (seeing the potential gains from your goals) rather than a prevention focus (concentrating on avoiding risk or losing what you already have) will give you the confidence and open-mindedness to take chances. She suggests various techniques to help build this confidence, from writing down your goal and what you'll gain when you achieve it, to visualising yourself in five years' time and seeing what you hope to accomplish.

Mobilise others

Get support from family, friends, trustworthy colleagues, mentors and career coaches who can all inspire you to keep on track, pick you up when there are setbacks, or offer support and advice.

Work with, rather than against others. Whether collaborating across departmental functions, meeting other people or getting your work known, you'll need to develop an ability to connect and communicate with others. Look within your present organisation for areas of project collaboration to help you prove your talents and get noticed.

Don't rush decisions

Career panic, where you feel you're running out of time or options, can mean you end up trying to make important career decisions when you feel under pressure. Instead, give yourself the time and space to reflect clearly and calmly on opportunities that come your way – or the challenges that get in your way. Avoid making decisions when you're feeling stressed or anxious.

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